POPs-Pennine Operating Procedures
New trainers:
Intending training practices are visited by one of the TPDs who will then need to submit an 'Informal TPD visit report' to secure funding for the Certificate. Details of the process and timelines are on both the Pennine and Deanery websites.
Omar needs to add the name of the intending trainer to the email circulation list and needs to know the date from which trainees will be allocated.
Intending trainers finishing the course in the summer are invited to attend group mentoring sessions from September onwards prior to interview in December. Trainees are allocated from the following February
Maternity leave:
Trainees are encouraged to meet with a TPD at an early stage in their pregnancy.
The document 'Guide to Maternity Leave -for managers' is attached for reference although many of the actions are undertaken by Trust Managers. It is useful to provide a copy of this document for the trainee. Problems with maternity leave rules can be referred to the Trust Workforce Benefits Service or the BMA as appropriate.
It is useful to discuss the intended period off work (which often changes) and whether a return to work will be FT or LTFT.
Trainees are often concerned as to who will provide their maternity pay. This should be picked up by their employer at 29w who will continue to fund this until they return to work. Annual leave accrued during maternity leave can be taken at the end of maternity leave or split to use before and after such leave (sic)
Applications to work LTFT need to be made to the Deanery no later than 3m before the return to work date.
An ARCP should be scheduled close to the start date of maternity leave
The rotation on which the trainee is currently sitting is abandoned an a new one created to fit with their new situation.
Omar needs to be kept up to date with all discussions and dates which should also be recorded in an 'Educators Note'.
See next section with regard to LTFT 'rules'.
It is good practice to meet trainees prior to their return to work to ensure that all appropriate plans are in place. This is possibly not necessary if the trainee is returning to GP
An example of a maternity leave educators note
maternity panning meeting 5th May
Note:
Dr XXX,
Thanks for coming to see me to discuss your maternity leave. I have copied this email to your Educators notes as well as to your ESR and Trainer for information.
I was pleased to hear that you are now approx XXweeks and all is going well. Your EDD is xx/xx/xx.
Your plan is to stop work around the end of XXXX and to return to full time work in.
This means that you will do X months at and then return to work at the same or different practice / same or different hospital job from (month & year) to the end of (month). You will then need to complete a further XX months training. Arif and Omar will look at possible locations.
We have sought advice from the Child Care , HR at HRI and are advised that the employer at your due date minus 11 weeks should be responsible for your maternity pay.
By my calculations the relevant date is XX/XX/XX thus XXXXX will have to pick up this administrative burden.
As you will recall we discussed your option of returning LTFT. This does not seem to be a likely choice at present but you would need to make an application to work 50% or 60% at least 3 months prior to your planned return to work .
At the end of XXXX you will need to have an ESR and CSR and an interim ARCP. I have put this ARCP date in the scheme diary.
Best wishes,
XXXX
Less than Full Time Working:
Applications to work LTFT need to be made to the Deanery no later than 3m before the intending start date using the form on the Deanery website (see 'Policies' section). The form should be submitted to Joan Martin at the Deanery after signing by a TPD.
Currently the Deanery will only allow 50 % or 60% in GP and 50% in hospital posts. However any percentage is possible if LTFT is being used for health reasons. This will need to be supported by OH and the Deputy Postgraduate Dean (Jon Hossain). When applications are made to the Deanery on health grounds the trainee is usually also seen by Dr Ros Roden, Associate Postgraduate Dean (appt booked by Joan Martin on receipt of application)
Arranging rotations for LTFT trainees can be difficult as a balance needs to be struck between their educational needs and the 'rules' imposed by the Deanery.
The Deanery wishes schemes to arrange hospital posts using the following priorities.
1. Two trainees job sharing (must be 50%)
2. One LTFT trainee occupying a FT slot
3. One LTFT trainee occupying a supernumerary post-- This would be usual for 'medical' reasons but is resisted by the Deanery for 'elective' reasons due to the financial implications. It has been approved in the past if the only posts available under 1 or 2 would cause the trainee to repeat a job.
Once permission to work LTFT has been gained arranging GP posts is straight forward.
Recruitment:
This process is run centrally in Jan/Feb. TPDs are expected to contribute one day per year which , unfortunately, is not paid.
A further recruitment round has recently been run in the autumn providing trainees starting in Feb (3 in Feb 2015, none since)
Successful candidates pick their rotations using the central system which are then transferred to our rotas by Omar. The Deanery seems to suggest that trainees can contact the scheme to discuss changes in rotations. This is seldom possible. (They did choose that rotation in the first place!)
It is good practice to let heads of Departments know if vacancies are occurring as soon as possible before August and Feb. Departments will often wish to move trainees eg from Halifax to Huddersfield to spread resources evenly.
GP rotations:
Trainees are allocated to practices by Omar after recruitment.
Where gaps are going to occur it is preferable to ensure that these are not with new trainers.
We try to work on a one trainer/one full time trainee allocation. The current exceptions are Naim Hossanie, Kate Simpson ,Alex Ross/ Dominic Chin (3 between 2) and Amir Khan at the Ridge.
As new trainers come through the system it might be possible to work back to the ideal ratios.
APE Posts:
We currently offer 'APE' posts to those full time trainees in ST1/2 GP posts. A range of posts are available and the plan is for each trainee to do half a day in one post for 3m and then a different post for the next 3m. Trainers are usually very helpful in releasing their trainees. The time spent in the APE post reduces the 'mandatory ' teaching time in the practice from 3hrs to 2 hrs.
Omar coordinates the booking of the posts.
We have not requested any formal feedback from these posts but in view of the likelihood of a scheme visit in the next year or so a prospective Survey Monkey exercise may well be appropriate?
Intra-deanery transfers
Application form for outgoing transfers is on the Deanery website. See 'Policies' section
Inter-deanery transfers
This is a national scheme with applications windows twice per year. Details of the process are on the Deanery website.
The scheme may be offered incoming inter-deanery/ intra-deanery transfers from time to time. These are optional only but can sometimes be useful to fill rota gaps.
Registrars with problems:
useful resources might include:
Take time service--self referral, details on Deanery website under 'Trainee Support'
Occupational Health-- Omar has referral forms
Jayashree-- DIDs Tutor and TPD
Dr Mike Tomson---Associate Postgraduate Dean and head of DIDs service
Dr David Rose--- Deputy Director of Postgraduate General Practice.
Useful Deanery contacts:
Joan Martin--LTFT co-ordinator
Joan Horsfield--- program support
Hospital Posts:
All hospital posts can generate problems but currently (Dec 16) we there are no acute issues. We have previously relied on informal feedback and the annual GMC survey but perhaps should consider a twice yearly 'survey monkey' exercise to provide a clearer picture (?)
The main issue causing problems is rota-gaps due to under-recruitment
Sue Burton (Medical Education Manager) is a very useful resource and has a detailed knowledge of employment issues and the workings of the Trust.
Useful medical contacts at the Trust have been Andy Lockey (Director of Medical Education) and Rob Moisey (Clinical Director for Acute Medicine)
Guide to Maternity Leave - for Managers
The Workforce Benefits Service has produced this guide to enable you to provide support to your pregnant staff members.
To assist your staff through their application for Maternity Leave please read and follow the steps below:
1. Tell your staff member to contact the Workforce Benefits Service on 01484 355042 to register her pregnancy. This must be done as soon as possible. We will send her a Maternity Information Pack.
2. She needs to complete the Application for Maternity Leave form (in the Maternity Information Pack). You need to sign this form and put your contact details on it. The completed form needs to be sent to the Workforce Benefits Service, Acre Mill.
3. Also in her Maternity Information Pack is a Risk Assessment Form. You are legally obliged to complete a risk assessment with your pregnant staff members. The risk assessments should be carried out monthly. For advice on completing this please contact Occupational Health.
4. When she receives her MATB1 Certificate (legal document from the Midwife/GP) she must send the original copy to the Workforce Benefits Service. This is normally issued between weeks 20-26. Without the original document we cannot process the maternity leave application.
5. We will write to her approximately 8 weeks before she is due to start her maternity leave, giving the start and end dates and outlining her pay entitlements. She will receive 2 copies of this letter – one to keep and one which must be signed and returned to the Workforce Benefits Service. If we do not receive the signed copy then her maternity pay will not be processed. A signed copy will then be sent you. You must complete an Assignment Information Change form for payroll to inform them that the maternity leave is to start. Please ensure that the start date for maternity leave is exactly the same as the date on the entitlement letter, otherwise it will need to be completed again and could delay maternity payments, resulting in an over-payment.
6. Once we have received the signed copy we will send it to payroll to process. We will send you a copy of the letter.
Important issues to discuss with your staff member
Annual Leave
Whilst on Maternity Leave (both paid and unpaid) staff accrue annual leave. If the entitlement runs into the next financial year you need to discuss this together prior to her starting Maternity Leave. The amount carried over can exceed the normal 5-day carry over rule. The amount of annual leave accrued can be a full year’s entitlement.
You need to talk to your staff member about when this leave will be taken. Some people add some weeks to the beginning of their maternity leave and add the rest on at the end. This will need to be agreed between the two of you.
Flexible Working
Your staff member may want to come back to work with different working arrangements. The Trust has a legal obligation to consider all requests for flexible working. Not all requests can be approved. This is something you need to discuss together before her maternity leave has started.
Returning to Work
Every pregnant lady is entitled to 52 weeks Maternity Leave and we will always assume that she is going to take the full 12 months leave. Prior to the start of maternity leave you need to have a discussion about when she plans to return to work.
If your staff member wants to change her planned date of return, either earlier or later, she must give you 8 weeks’ notice in writing.
The Workforce Benefits Service require a letter from the staff member stating the date she is returning to work, whether this is at the end of 52 weeks or before. We will send a copy of this letter to you.
An Assignment Information Change Form must be completed by you when the Maternity Leave is completed. This form signals payroll to pay the staff member – it must be sent to payroll at the end of Maternity Leave – not following any annual leave added to the end.
Entitlements
Every pregnant employee is entitled to 52 weeks Maternity Leave.
The amount of Maternity Pay received depends on length of service and NI contributions. Please see the ‘Guide to Maternity Leave, Rights and Pay’ on the Intranet for further details.
Every employee’s circumstances are individual – the Workforce Benefits Service will work out their entitlements.
Your staff member must return to work for at least 3 months to avoid a possible Maternity pay overpayment.